Has this been a tough year for you?

For Mary and Joseph the birth of Jesus brought inexplicable trials into their lives. Mary, a virgin, had given birth to a son. There had been no room for them in the Bethlehem inn; then they had to flee Israel to escape Herod’s pogrom of little children. However, they obeyed the inexplicable.

They fled to Egypt where they lived in a strange culture with different food, language, and foreign gods, until one day, again in a dream, an angel told them to return to Israel, to Nazareth. A Roman garrison in this small hill town led many Jews to despise it. In fact, when Nathaniel was asked to follow Jesus, he said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

The answer is a resounding, Yes! Today we see Jesus crowned with glory and honour because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might experience death for everyone. In suffering there is life, eternal life.

So here is a prayer for those of us weary with disappointment in our personal lives.

King of Kings, You control the universe and my life. Yet when bad things happen to me, I sometimes feel You are no longer in control. But You are in control, so give me faith to carry me through deep waters of sorrow, loss, and pain. Jesus suffered that I might live eternally. Strengthen that hope within me.